79 - I Got Engaged to a Blind Duke
I got engaged to a blind peacock Chapter 79
Marin, whom I ran into in the hallway, came running with a happy face. Sebas watched her as if she were a cute granddaughter.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Butler—no, Master. There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Why are you using honorifics again?”
“Because this is the time I’m asking a favor of my Master.”
Marin smiled shyly.
“Ask me anything.”
“If you happen to meet Garnet Adria, could you show her that saying from before? Since it’s her mother’s saying, I think she’d like it. And please have a conversation with her. It seems like the other nieces and nephews are slowly adapting here, but only Garnet seems a bit out of place.”
“Oh dear. I haven’t been paying enough attention. I apologize.”
“No, Master! And, um, if Garnet asks you for anything separately, I’d appreciate it if you could grant it as much as possible.”
“Of course.”
\ \ \
“Why do you want to learn the Sword?”
“Because I want to protect. I want to protect my sisters and brothers.”
Garnet’s clear green eyes shone with strong desire.
Sebas Butler stretched his wrinkled lips and nodded.
“That’s a good goal. I understand. There happens to be a good senior, so shall we start tomorrow?”
“Yes! I will!”
Garnet answered energetically.
\ \ \
Ah—I don’t want to do this.
“Why are you here?”
Garnet, who arrived at the training grounds early in the morning following Sebas Butler, stared at Marin with a dumbfounded expression.
“Oh! Lady, no. Garnet junior! You’re here?”
Marin raised both hands as if to welcome her.
“Junior?”
When Garnet retorted in a sharp voice, Marin smiled brightly and called out to the red-haired man next to her.
“Uvis. We call each other senior and junior in the order of joining the Knights Order, right?”
“Of course.”
The one called Uvis laughed playfully and agreed.
“See? I trained first, so I’m the senior, and Garnet is the junior.”
Marin pointed at herself once with her finger, then poked Garnet to emphasize.
“Is this the Knights Order?”
Garnet didn’t back down and resisted.
“The former vice-captain of the Knights Order is our Master, so you have to follow the rules. Right? Master.”
Sebas Butler, who was watching the situation from behind, twitched his lips to hold back a laugh.
“There are rules, but…”
At the butler’s words, Garnet looked up at him with a wronged expression.
The butler quickly averted his gaze.
“Alright, alright. Did you hear that, Garnet junior? Start with 10 laps around the training ground.”
“Why 10 laps?”
“Swordsmanship comes from physical strength. I’m running 15 laps now.”
Marin puffed out her chest with a proud expression and boasted.
“Hmph. If I run more than 15 laps, can I not be the junior?”
Garnet issued a challenge to Marin with blazing eyes.
Marin smiled confidently.
“Sure. If you run more than 15 laps, you can do that.”
“Good.”
“Start from here.”
The man called Uvis drew a line on the ground with his Sword sheath.
Garnet pouted and approached the direction he pointed.
Looking at him up close, he seemed to be the same age, just tall and broad-shouldered.
“Hmph. I got it.”
“Yes, yes.”
Uvis slung his Sword over his shoulder and answered casually.
I don’t like any of this.
Garnet looked straight ahead with a frustrated face. I’ll finish 15 laps in no time!
“Huff, huff, huff.”
No way.
Garnet sat down on the ground after running 11 and a half laps. Marin and the red-haired man, who were sitting under a tree, whispered to each other.
They’re definitely making fun of me.
Garnet used her anger as a driving force and stood up again.
Her mind was running far ahead, but her feet wouldn’t move as if they were stuck to the ground.
Move. Stupid legs.
Garnet slapped her thighs and walked slowly. As she advanced little by little, she got closer to the group chatting.
“Isn’t she amazing?”
“Isn’t that basic?”
“I couldn’t do that from the start.”
“That’s because Miss’s stamina is worse than a puppy’s.”
“What? A puppy? Hey, puppies have great stamina. They don’t rest!”
“Hey, a newborn puppy. Not a big puppy.”
“What? Do you want to taste the fist of someone who’s worse than a newborn puppy?”
“Wow, no violence.”
Garnet turned her gaze with blurry eyes. She wanted to pretend not to know the two people having a childish argument.
She wanted to pass them quickly, but her feet were too heavy. It was the first time her body didn’t move as she wanted.
“Miss Garnet. How about you stop there for today?”
A kind angel’s voice was heard from somewhere.
Garnet turned her head sharply in the direction of the voice. Sebas Butler was looking at her with a pitiful expression.
“Can I stop?”
“Of course. If you overdo it on the first day, you won’t be able to come out the next day. Like someone.”
At his last words, Marin coughed awkwardly.
Soon, Marin got up from her seat and approached Garnet.
“11 laps is amazing too, Garnet junior.”
“…11 laps ‘and a half.’ Senior.”
Are you trying to cut off the half?
Garnet gritted her teeth and emphasized the half.
“Right, 11 and a half laps. Good job. Let’s do well in the future.”
“Hmph. Okay.”
Garnet snorted again because Marin’s kind smile was annoyingly irritating.
\ \ \
Marin finished her early morning training, had breakfast with her mother, and went down to the second floor.
Peridot, dressed neatly, was coming out of the room, holding Dia’s hand in one hand and a pastel bag securely in the other.
“Hello, Teacher.”
“Hello, Teacher.”
“Good morning, Dia, Peridot.”
Looking into the room, Garnet was nowhere to be seen.
She must be groaning in her room from the early morning training.
Rubiana peeked her face between the door.
“Hello. Teacher.”
“Hello, Ruby. Let’s meet at the library after lunch.”
“Yes!”
After hearing Rubiana’s bright answer, Marin took Peridot’s hand from Dia.
As she walked while chatting with Peridot, she soon arrived at the Duke’s office.
The office was bright as always. The table in front of the sofa, which had become Peridot’s designated seat, was piled high with snacks.
Peridot, who had let go of the hand she was holding, stood in front of the Duke and took a deep breath that made her chest heave.
A sense of tension flowed over the child’s small face as if she had made some kind of resolution.
Marin, who didn’t know what was going on, was fascinated by Peridot’s cute face and cheered her on in her heart.
“Hello! Uncle!”
“……!”
The Duke’s eyebrows shot up and then went back down. He seemed surprised by the unexpected title.
“Ruby said that’s what I should call you.”
“……Okay.”
The Duke answered slowly.
Peridot smiled happily with a proud face as if she had accomplished something very big. Her chubby cheeks, which had become plumper, bulged as she smiled.
Marin, who watched the situation from behind, felt her fingers tingle because Peridot was so lovely.
I wish I could pull those chubby cheeks.
She was so proud of the child who had mustered the courage to say those words just now.
“Teacher, I’ll sit here and draw. Teacher, you work.”
Peridot went to the sofa and sat down quietly, picking up a piece of paper placed on the table.
“Thank you, Peridot. Report to Peridot’s uncle and draw together.”
“Yes!”
Olive, who was standing behind with a pleased expression, handed Marin a report.
Marin’s eyes sparkled as she read the report.
Opal has finally come into the world.
“This is a report on the Nylon Territory Silver Mine. All the Cave Monster that appeared from time to time have been dealt with. The minerals that were judged to be low-grade were collected and processed. According to the appraiser, it is a very beautiful jewel that has never been seen before. We are sending the processed minerals together, so please make a judgment.”
